


A Reason To Celebrate

by lovesnarf (snarfette)



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fathers Day, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-08
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-05-19 20:04:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14880329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snarfette/pseuds/lovesnarf
Summary: They’d never had any reason to celebrate Father’s Day and they’d always been relieved to let it pass by without fuss. But maybe this year would be different.





	A Reason To Celebrate

**Author's Note:**

> Just something fluffy about Aaron and Robert and the fact that Father’s Day might mean something new to them now. 
> 
> This is so soft compared to my normal angst-fest but I actually really enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Let me know what you thought.

Father’s Day wasn’t something they ever really mentioned. It was like an unspoken rule between them that it would just be like any other day. Neither of them had any reason to mark the occasion, after all. And both of them had good reason for not wanting to think about their fathers at all, let alone on a day designed to celebrate all of the wonderful dads in the world. They did an excellent job of ignoring the fuss around the day and pretending that they hadn’t noticed the cards and silly gifts ‘Just for Dad’ in all the shops and the adverts on the telly reminding them about special meals and treats for Father’s Day, but in reality it was hard not to react to thethings that were constantly being shoved down their throats.

They’d never had any reason to celebrate the day and they’d always been relieved to let it pass by without fuss.

***

Aaron was about to walk down the stairs when he heard Robert talking. He stepped a little closer and paused for a moment, realising that Robert was talking to Seb as he sat on the sofa holding the little boy. Carefully, he lowered himself down to sit on the top step, elbows on his knees as he listened.

 

“And I know I told you when you were born that you changed everything, and you really did. You’ve made me a better person,” Robert was saying in a soft voice.“I’ve been pretty selfish and I was really good at messing everything up, but you’ve made me realise that I have to be better. And no matter what, I’m going to be the best dad I can be to you. You’ve probably already realised that sometimes I get it wrong and I know I will in the future sometimes, but no matter what happens, I want you to know you can always come to me. You can always talk to me. And I’ll always love you, no matter what.”

 

Aaron knew what Robert was thinking about as he said the words. He knew that Robert was remembering his fractured relationship with his own father and how much it had damaged him. He knew he was thinking about how he’d never been able to go to his dad for help and how he’d always been a disappointment in Jack’s eyes. And he knew he was remembering how his dad had reacted to finding out that Robert wasn’t straight. Aaron blinked back a few tears at how cruel life could be and how Robert hadn’t deserved to be treated like that by his own dad.

 

“You are so loved,” Robert continued. “I think you know that already, but we’ll remind you all the time. And if I get things wrong, and I make a mess of things, you know that your other daddy will sort everything out.”

There was a little gurgle from Seb as though he was agreeing and Robert let out a small laugh.

At the top of the stairs, Aaron’s heart swelled in his chest and he smiled at the words. Tears swam in his eyes again.

 

“You see - you know already, don’t you? You’re not daft. And you’re so lucky,” Robert said, and his voice suddenly sounded a bit wobbly. “We both are. I don’t know what we’d do without him.”

 

Seb gave a squealing giggle and Robert laughed again, and Aaron decided it was time for him to move. He made his way down the stairs to find Robert on the sofa with Seb on his knee, turned to face him.

“Alright?” he said a little gruffly and he cleared his throat to cover how choked he was feeling. He noticed Robert’s eyes were a little shiny too.

“Yeah,” Robert replied with a small smile. “Just having some quiet time. Come and join us.”

 

Aaron didn’t need telling twice. He rounded the sofa and sank down next to Robert, their arms and thighs pressed together. Immediately, Seb twisted towards him, arms outstretched, babbling away to himself, and Robert passed him over to Aaron. He couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face as he bounced Seb on his knee.

“I love you,” he said when he turned to look at Robert who was watching the pair of them with a smile on his own face.

“I love you too,” Robert replied. He leant forward and pressed a kiss to Aaron’s lips.

Seb let out an excited squeal again and they both laughed.

“And we love you too,” Robert told him before he kissed the top of his head.

***

It was still dark outside when Robert rolled over in bed and found that he was alone. He rubbed his eyes tiredly and pushed himself up on his elbows, peering into the darkness of the room. There was no light coming from under the door of the ensuite, but their bedroom door was slightly ajar. Pushing himself up and out of bed, he padded across the room to the door, still rubbing his eyes as he went. He was knackered and maybe that was why he hadn’t noticed Aaron getting out of bed.

When he made it out onto the landing, he could see the soft light of the lamp spilling out of the open door of Seb’s room. He crept a little closer, stepping over the creaky floorboard that they’d only noticed when they’d started trying to avoid disturbing Seb, and heard Aaron’s voice, the soft one he reserved for Seb, or Liv, or even Robert himself when he really needed it.

“And some people might say stupid things to you when you get a bit older. Things like we’re not a real family or I’m not your real dad, but that’s just rubbish. Because, you see, you’re just extra lucky: you’ve got two daddies and some people will be jealous of that. And our family is just as good as anyone else’s, maybe even better, because families are supposed to be about love, not who’s got the same DNA.”

Robert might have chuckled at Aaron talking about genetics to a baby, but he was so touched by the words, he could hardly even breathe.

“We’ll be really good dads to you, you know.”

Aaron paused and Robert chanced taking a step closer to the room. He peered around the door frame and his heart nearly melted at the sight of Aaron sitting in the rocking chair, that Robert had insisted on buying for the nursery, with Seb lying against his chest blinking sleepily. Aaron’s hand rubbed Seb’s back gently and they both looked completely content.

“I didn’t know if I’d ever be a dad,” Aaron said quietly. “Not because I didn’t want to be, but because, well, I guess I was scared that I’d be too messed up to do it right.”

Robert’s heart hurt for the man he loved. Hearing that Aaron had been worried about how his own traumatic past might have ruined his future happiness was always heartbreaking.

“But I promise you, I’ll get it right. I’m going to be a brilliant dad for you - me and your daddy both will - and maybe one day we’ll be daddies to a little brother or sister for you too.”

Robert sucked in a breath and held it as he heard the words. Aaron wanted them to have more kids one day: well, that made two of them then. He smiled softly to himself, filled with love for his little family.

Carefully, he stepped back over the creaky floorboard and headed back to bed. He planned to stay awake so he could drag Aaron into bed and hold him when he returned, but for now, he wanted to leave him and Seb to have some precious time alone.

***

When Aaron made his way down the stairs on Sunday morning, he had no idea what was waiting for him. He’d woken up to find that Robert was already out of bed and then he’d realised that he could smell something delicious cooking downstairs.

“What’s all this?” he asked as he reached the bottom of the stairs to find Robert in the kitchen plating up two English breakfasts.

Robert turned to him, his cheeks a little pink from cooking and a towel thrown over his shoulder, and smiled. He sidestepped Aaron and scooped Seb up from where he’d been playing with his toy car, holding him on his hip as he turned back to Aaron.

“Happy Father’s Day,” he announced with a smile. “Seb wanted to do something special for you today.” He grinned at the little boy in his arms who tapped him on the face and then giggled.

Aaron’s eyes were wide and he didn’t know what to say.

Robert must have taken his shocked face and silence as a bad sign and his smile fell a little. “Are you okay?” he asked, the concern obvious in his voice.

“I don’t know what to say,” Aaron murmured. But before Robert could apologise or explain, he continued. “I wasn’t expecting anything like this. You pair of softies,” he said and a smile spread across his face as he stepped closer, pressing a kiss to Robert’s cheek and tickling Seb. “Thank you,” he whispered as he looked up at Robert’s gently smiling face.

Handing Seb to him, Robert returned to his breakfast preparations and Aaron got Seb settled in his high chair at the table. Then he quickly went into the living room to grab the card and present he’d hidden in there the night before.

When Robert sat down at the table, Aaron placed the items in front of him.

“Happy Father’s Day to you, too,” he said and he felt a little silly, but at the same time, it felt right. “Seb picked it out, obviously,” he added.

Robert beamed at him and then at the little boy, before he opened his card. The ‘Happy Father’s Day, Daddy’ with the red cartoon car on the front of the card was enough to bring tears to Robert’s eyes and Aaron was sure the present would send him over the edge.

When Robert tore the paper off, he actually looked like he might cry as he stared down at the framed photograph of the three of them and Liv: all happy, all smiling, all family.

“You like it?” Aaron asked, already knowing the answer.

“It’s perfect. I love it,” Robert managed to reply. He stood up and leaned over the table to kiss Aaron and then press a kiss to Seb’s head. “Thank you.”

***

Later that day, they all sat in the living room, Aaron and Robert side by side on the sofa as Seb enjoyed his afternoon nap.

Robert couldn’t help but look up at the two Father’s Day cards next to one another on the shelf. His with the red car and Aaron’s (that Robert insisted Seb had pointed to in the shop) with a puppy on the front.

“Happy Father’s Day,” Aaron sighed in contentment as he leant his head against Robert’s shoulder, and, for the first time that either of them could remember, it actually was.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I’m snarfettelove on tumblr.


End file.
